371 RESPECT FOR PARENTS

YOUCAT Lesson 371

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

371  How does a child respect his parents?

A child respects and honors his parents by showing them love and gratitude.  [2214-2220, 2251]

Two sons’ gifts: Rose's Mother's Day flowering plant from son John plus a goofy toy with colors matching the flowers from son Bill. …..371

Children should be grateful to their parents in the first place because they received their life from the love of their parents.  This gratitude establishes a lifelong relationship of love, respect, responsibility and obedience, rightly understood.  Especially in times of need, sickness, and old age, children should lovingly be there for their parents and care for them faithfully.

“With all your heart honor your father, and do not forget the birth pangs of your mother…What can you give back to them that equals their gift to you? – Sirach  7: 27-28

[2214-2220, 2251]

III. THE DUTIES OF FAMILY MEMBERS

The duties of children

2214 The divine fatherhood is the source of human fatherhood; ( Compare Ephesians 3:14.)¹⁶ this is the foundation of the honor owed to parents. The respect of children, whether minors or adults, for their father and mother (Compare Proverbs 1:8; Tobit 4:3-4.)¹⁷ is nourished by the natural affection born of the bond uniting them. It is required by God's commandment. (Compare Exodus 20:12.)¹⁸ –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

2215 Respect for parents (filial piety) derives from gratitude toward those who, by the gift of life, their love and their work, have brought their children into the world and enabled them to grow in stature, wisdom, and grace. "With all your heart honor your father, and do not forget the birth pangs of your mother. Remember that through your parents you were born; what can you give back to them that equals their gift to you?" (Sirach 7:27-28.)¹⁹ –CCC

2216 Filial respect is shown by true docility and obedience. "My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. . . . When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you." (Proverbs 6:20-22.)²⁰ "A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke." (Proverbs 13:1.)²¹ –CCC

2217 As long as a child lives at home with his parents, the child should obey his parents in all that they ask of him when it is for his good or that of the family. "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." (Colossians 3:20; Compare Ephesians 6:1.)²² Children should also obey the reasonable directions of their teachers and all to whom their parents have entrusted them. But if a child is convinced in conscience that it would be morally wrong to obey a particular order, he must not do so. –CCC

As they grow up, children should continue to respect their parents. They should anticipate their wishes, willingly seek their advice, and accept their just admonitions. Obedience toward parents ceases with the emancipation of the children; not so respect, which is always owed to them. This respect has its roots in the fear of God, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. –CCC

2218 The fourth commandment reminds grown children of their responsibilities toward their parents. As much as they can, they must give them material and moral support in old age and in times of illness, loneliness, or distress. Jesus recalls this duty of gratitude. (Compare Mark 7:10-12.)²³ –CCC

For the Lord honored the father above the children, and he confirmed the right of the mother over her sons. Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and whoever glorifies his mother is like one who lays up treasure. Whoever honors his father will be gladdened by his own children, and when he prays he will be heard. Whoever glorifies his father will have long life, and whoever obeys the Lord will refresh his mother. (Sirach 3:2-6.)²⁴ –CCC

O son, help your father in his old age, and do not grieve him as long as he lives; even if he is lacking in understanding, show forbearance; in all your strength do not despise him. . . . Whoever forsakes his father is like a blasphemer, and whoever angers his mother is cursed by the Lord. (Sirach 3:12-13, 16.)²⁵ –CCC

2219 Filial respect promotes harmony in all of family life; it also concerns relationships between brothers and sisters. Respect toward parents fills the home with light and warmth. "Grandchildren are the crown of the aged." (Proverbs 17:6.)²⁶ "With all humility and meekness, with patience, [support] one another in charity." (Ephesians 4:2.)²⁷ –CCC

2220 For Christians a special gratitude is due to those from whom they have received the gift of faith, the grace of Baptism, and life in the Church. These may include parents, grandparents, other members of the family, pastors, catechists, and other teachers or friends. "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you." (2 Timothy 1:5.)²⁸ –CCC

IN BRIEF

2251 Children owe their parents respect, gratitude, just obedience, and assistance. Filial respect fosters harmony in all of family life. --CCC

370 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FAMILY

YOUCAT Lesson 370

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

370  Why should the State protect and promote families?

The welfare and future of a State depend on the ability of the smallest unit within it, the family, to live and develop.  [2209-2213, 2250]

An Assyrian Christian family forced to flee their home took refuge in at a Catholic church in Amman, Jordan. P. J. Smith photo….. 370

No State has the right to intrude on the basic cell of society, the family, by its regulations or to question its right to exist.  No State has the right to define the family differently, for the family’s commission comes from the Creator.  No State has the right to deprive the family of its fundamental functions, especially in the area of education.  On the contrary, every State has the duty to support families with its assistance and to ensure that its material needs are met.  123

“If the family is in order, the State will be in order; if the State is in order, the great community of mankind will live in peace.”  Lu Buwei (ca. 300 b.c., Chinese philosopher)

[2209-2213, 2250]

2209 The family must be helped and defended by appropriate social measures. Where families cannot fulfill their responsibilities, other social bodies have the duty of helping them and of supporting the institution of the family. Following the principle of subsidiarity, larger communities should take care not to usurp the family's prerogatives or interfere in its life. –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

2210 The importance of the family for the life and well-being of society(Compare Gaudium et Spes 47 § 1.)¹³ entails a particular responsibility for society to support and strengthen marriage and the family. Civil authority should consider it a grave duty "to acknowledge the true nature of marriage and the family, to protect and foster them, to safeguard public morality, and promote domestic prosperity."( Gaudium et Spes 52 § 2.)^{14 –}CCC

2211 The political community has a duty to honor the family, to assist it, and to ensure especially: 
- the freedom to establish a family, have children, and bring them up in keeping with the family's own moral and religious convictions; 
- the protection of the stability of the marriage bond and the institution of the family; 
- the freedom to profess one's faith, to hand it on, and raise one's children in it, with the necessary means and institutions; 
- the right to private property, to free enterprise, to obtain work and housing, and the right to emigrate; 
- in keeping with the country's institutions, the right to medical care, assistance for the aged, and family benefits; 
- the protection of security and health, especially with respect to dangers like drugs, pornography, alcoholism, etc.; 

- the freedom to form associations with other families and so to have representation before civil authority.( Compare Familiaris Consortio 46.)¹⁵ –CCC

2212 The fourth commandment illuminates other relationships in society. In our brothers and sisters we see the children of our parents; in our cousins, the descendants of our ancestors; in our fellow citizens, the children of our country; in the baptized, the children of our mother the Church; in every human person, a son or daughter of the One who wants to be called "our Father." In this way our relationships with our neighbors are recognized as personal in character. The neighbor is not a "unit" in the human collective; he is "someone" who by his known origins deserves particular attention and respect. –CCC

2213 Human communities are made up of persons. Governing them well is not limited to guaranteeing rights and fulfilling duties such as honoring contracts. Right relations between employers and employees, between those who govern and citizens, presuppose a natural good will in keeping with the dignity of human persons concerned for justice and fraternity. –CCC

IN BRIEF

2250 "The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life" (Gaudium et Spes 47 § 1). --CCC

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 30, 2017

It can also be said that Divine Mercy is a treasure which a person finds if we turn our hearts to God.  This is the original image of Divine Mercy  painted under the guidance of Saint Faustina.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 30, 2017

Lectionary: 109

Reading 1 1 KGS 3:5, 7-12

The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.  God said, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you."  Solomon answered:  "O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.  I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.  Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.  For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?"

The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request.  So God said to him:  "Because you have asked for this—not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right—I do as you requested.  I give you a heart so wise and understanding
that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you."

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130

R. (97a) Lord, I love your commands.

I have said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep your words.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

For I love your command
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.

R. Lord, I love your commands.

Reading 2 ROM 8:28-30

Brothers and sisters:  We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.  For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.

Alleluia CF. MT 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
for you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 13:44-52 

Jesus said to his disciples:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.  When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.  When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets.  What is bad they throw away.  Thus it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.  "Do you understand all these things?"  They answered, "Yes."  And he replied,
"Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old." 

369 THE IRREPLACEABLE FAMILY

YOUCAT Lesson 369

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

369  Why are families irreplaceable?

Every child is descended from one father and one mother and longs for the warmth and safety of a family so that he may grow up secure and happy.  [2207-2208]

The little girl at the center did this artwork from a 1971 photo.  Of course she was a grownup young lady by then.  Left to right are Don C, Don L, Lisa, Rose, and Bob Bragg. ….. 369

The family is the basic cell of human society.  The values and principles that are lived out in the small circle of the family are what make solidarity in the life of larger society possible in the first place.  516

“It is only the rock of total, irrevocable love between a man and a woman that can serve as the foundation on which to build a society that will become a home for all mankind.”  Pope Benedict XVI, May 11, 2006

[2207-2208]

II. THE FAMILY AND SOCIETY
2207 The family is the original cell of social life. It is the natural society in which husband and wife are called to give themselves in love and in the gift of life. Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is an initiation into life in society. –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

2208 The family should live in such a way that its members learn to care and take responsibility for the young, the old, the sick, the handicapped, and the poor. There are many families who are at times incapable of providing this help. It devolves then on other persons, other families, and, in a subsidiary way, society to provide for their needs: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world."( James 1:27.)¹² --CCC

368 THE FAMILY IS A UNIQUE SCHOOL OF LIVING RELATIONSHIPS.

YOUCAT Lesson 368

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

368  What place does the family have in God’s plan of creation?

A man and a woman who are married to each other form, together with their children, a family.  God wills that the love of the spouses, if possible, should produce children.  These children, who are entrusted to the protection and care of their parents, have the same dignity as their parents.  [2201-2206, 2249]

The Julia and Charles Brown children singing welcoming songs to their visiting Aunt Margaret Racanelli. …..368

God himself, in the depths of the Trinity, is communion.  In the human sphere, the family is the primordial image of communion.  The family is the unique school of living in relationships.  Nowhere do children grow up as well as in an intact family, in which they experience heartfelt affection, mutual respect, and responsibility for one another.  Finally, faith grows in the family, too; the family is, the Church tells us, a miniature church, a “domestic church”, the radiance of which should invite others into this fellowship of faith, charity, and hope.

“The family is a necessary good for peoples, an indispensable foundation for society and a great and lifelong treasure for couples.  It is a unique good for children, who are meant to be the fruit of the love, of the total and generous self-giving of their parents.”  Pope Benedict XVI, July 8, 2006

 “The family that prays together, stays together.”  Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C, Irish priest, promoter of the Rosary

“Tuberculosis and cancer are not the most terrible sicknesses.  I think that a much more terrible sickness is to be unwanted and unloved.”  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

[2201-2206, 2249]

I. THE FAMILY IN GOD'S PLAN

The nature of the family

2201 The conjugal community is established upon the consent of the spouses. Marriage and the family are ordered to the good of the spouses and to the procreation and education of children. The love of the spouses and the begetting of children create among members of the same family personal relationships and primordial responsibilities. –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

2202 A man and a woman united in marriage, together with their children, form a family. This institution is prior to any recognition by public authority, which has an obligation to recognize it. It should be considered the normal reference point by which the different forms of family relationship are to be evaluated. –CCC

2203 In creating man and woman, God instituted the human family and endowed it with its fundamental constitution. Its members are persons equal in dignity. For the common good of its members and of society, the family necessarily has manifold responsibilities, rights, and duties. –CCC

* The Christian family

2204 "The Christian family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial communion, and for this reason it can and should be called a domestic church."( Familiaris Consortio 21; compare Lumen et Gentium 11.)⁹ It is a community of faith, hope, and charity; it assumes singular importance in the Church, as is evident in the New Testament.                       ( Compare Ephesians 5:21b: 4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Peter 3:1-7.)¹⁰ –CCC

2205 The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. In the procreation and education of children it reflects the Father's work of creation. It is called to partake of the prayer and sacrifice of Christ. Daily prayer and the reading of the Word of God strengthen it in charity. The Christian family has an evangelizing and missionary task. –CCC

2206 The relationships within the family bring an affinity of feelings, affections and interests, arising above all from the members' respect for one another. The family is a privileged community called to achieve a "sharing of thought and common deliberation by the spouses as well as their eager cooperation as parents in the children's upbringing."( Gaudium et Spes 52 § 1.)¹¹ –CCC

IN BRIEF

2249 The conjugal community is established upon the covenant and consent of the spouses. Marriage and family are ordered to the good of the spouses, to the procreation and the education of children. --CCC